Michel Roux's Souffle Fromage

Ingredients

• 50 g melted butter – to brush ramekins
• 180 g hard dry goats cheese or Comté, finely grated
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 6 small eggs
• Bechamel
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 260 ml milk
• 2 egg yolks
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 nutmeg, finely grated
• 10 large egg whites
• 6 x (8cm x 10cm) 240ml ramekins

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 180℃ fan setting.

2. 2

   Place 6 x 240ml deep ramekins in the fridge to get cold. Then, brush each one with melted butter and dust the buttered ramekins with a little grated cheese. It will stick in an even layer, tip out any excess. Place the ramekins back into the fridge.

3. 3

   Heat a small pan with water and bring up to the boil. Add the vinegar to the pan, then crack each egg into the water and cook until softly poached. Lift each one out and plunge into iced cold water. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Lift each egg out of the water and drain onto a paper towel-lined tray. Trim off any excess stringy bits of egg white with some scissors.

4. 4

   Now make the béchamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add in the flour and stir well for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk until it’s all incorporated and whisk until the béchamel thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. When the béchamel cools a little, add the yolks and ½ the remaining grated cheese and whisk well. Transfer this to a large mixing bowl and leave to cool.

5. 5

   Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Mix 1/3rd into the bechamel quite swiftly to incorporate. Add the remaining egg white to the béchamel and fold in gently until all is incorporated.

6. 6

   Half-fill each ramekin with soufflé mix and place a poached egg inside each one. Continue to divide the remaining mixture on top of the eggs. Top with remaining cheese, and place the ramekins on to a tray.

7. 7

   Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and puffed up. Serve immediately.